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Topic Review (Newest First)

10-01-2012 03:34 PM

dlandersson

Re: Don't hate me for the revival

The 26X and 26M have full headroom.

26X has a bigger cockpit, the 26M has a bigger cabin.

10-01-2012 03:29 PM

dlandersson

Re: MacGregor 26 vs. ?

There really isn't a Mac 26.

There IS a Mac 26D, 26S, 26X, 26M

09-23-2012 12:50 PM

HeartsContent

Re: MacGregor 26 vs. ?

It would probably be honest to say that your lack of experience has contributed to a very narrow perception of the sailing world.

There are inexperienced boaters of every ilk and no platforms are exempt.

These threads just seem to come alive with people that have no experience with a Macgregor making statements about one. The same ignorance tends to be focused on Hunters and then expands to all production boats ... It's too bad as there is no value in these statements and they tend to confuse people trying to research.

As most knowledgeable people will state, the Macgregor 26M is a unique hybrid boat. It does what it does very well but as with every boat, there are trade offs.

Here's some stats on the 26M I owned:

Top motoring speed: 17 knots (60 eTec)

Cruising motoring speed: 11-13 knots

My top sustained sailing speed 7.3 knots

Cruising speed ~6 knots

Beating ~5 knots

Medium winds is where this boat is really happy: 8-14knots - it will still sail in 4-8 knots. It doesn't take much wind to find 5.5 knots and good winds will let you cruise at ~6 knots. This boat is tender as it is water ballasted. What this means is that it has a quick initial movement and then it stabilizes. I ran with a C&C 30 in some decent winds ~20 knots and he was having lots of stability trouble nearly broaching - guess he didn't know when to reef!

Off the wind, this boat is fast. That's because it weighs very little. I have caught and passed lots of bigger boats reaching.

I find the "it doesn't point" rhetoric to be yet another sign of the posters inexperience. When you have a 60hp engine, you don't have to sail to windward to get where you are going. If you want to point, you will need a boat with a deep fin keel. That pretty much eliminates it as a light weight trailer sailor and probably 90% of the boats out there.

To close this out, I have never met a "real sailor" that actually hates this boat. The "real sailors" found my 26M quite interesting and were surprised by the space inside and storage. Once they sailed on it, they all commented that it sailed way better than they expected.

It really helps when people with actual experience comment.

09-21-2012 04:01 PM

PeterSailer

Re: MacGregor 26 vs. ?

I'm sorry, the way I wrote it, it does look like i'm saying all MacGregor owners are inexpericenced but what I really meant to say is that i never met one that is experienced but I know there has to be some experienced guys out there sailing on MacGregors.

09-21-2012 03:48 PM

Sumner10

Re: MacGregor 26 vs. ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterSailer

.I'm not saying that every MacGregor owner are inexperienced sailors, I'm saying that all the one I met didn't know much about sailboats when they bought the boat..

What I read was...

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterSailer

I have never saw a experience sailor buy a MacGregor(at least the newer hybrid), only new sailors that didn't know better.

I was just expressing the fact that experienced sailors have bought one.

You are right that MacGregors have introduced thousands of people to sailing including Ruth and I. We are still far from experienced but totally happy with our choice just like thousands of MacGregor powersailors are happy with theirs,

Like I said, no offence meant to anyone.
I'm not saying that every MacGregor owner are inexperienced sailors, I'm saying that all the one I met didn't know much about sailboats when they bought the boat.

We all have our own needs when it comes to sailboat, if your happy with your MacGregor then good. I'm a big fan of steel sailboats, i know that most people wouln't like a 36 steel footer displacing 17 000lbs(frameless steel sailboat), but I don't give a s**t because thats is exactly what I want...

After all, this forum is made to express our opinions right?

Cheers

Pierre

09-21-2012 02:22 PM

RobGallagher

Re: MacGregor 26 vs. ?

You are looking for opinions.

I looked at one, brand new 26X, I was far from impressed. The very first thing I noticed was that the chainplates where such low quality stainless that they where rusting and staining the topsides.. on a brand new boat FFS.

There are other options. A hunter 260 will move along nicely with a small outboard and still be a decent "sailboat" that you can keep on a trailer. Perhaps the 26S would be another option, but, I don't have an opinion on that because I've never been on one.

09-21-2012 02:09 PM

Sumner10

Re: MacGregor 26 vs. ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterSailer

I have never saw a experience sailor buy a MacGregor(at least the newer hybrid), only new sailors that didn't know better.

No offence meant to anyone here,

Pierre

Simply not true. There are a number of guys on the MacGregor site for power sailor that have had boats in the 30-40 foot range and have been long time, long distance sailors who are at a different point in their lives and have bought a new (X or M) powersailer. They love them for their current needs. If they are happy why knock them or someone else that could maybe benifit from the boat.

We looked at them and considered the X, but went with the slightly older S that is water ballast, but a displacement hull. We bought an Endeavour 37 last year, but kept the Mac and will mostlikly have her long after we sell the Endeavour.

For our needs we still haven't seen a better boat than the Mac. How many boats can you easily haul from Utah's canyon country to Idaho, Canada, Colorado and to Florida and take trips....

Ther are a few in our marina but they aren't out much and when they are I can sail circles around then with my C&C 24. When I see used ones selling in the mid twenties! I think Zi could get a 15 year old Catalina or Hunter and have a real sailboat. If I want a powerboat tide I'll go out in my Searay! Both of them cost Ne under $15,000 so where is the savings?

09-21-2012 12:39 PM

PeterSailer

Re: MacGregor 26 vs. ?

I have never saw a experience sailor buy a MacGregor(at least the newer hybrid), only new sailors that didn't know better.

No offence meant to anyone here,

Pierre

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